Namewee a good role model?
The story is out. Namewee is in trouble with drugs and with a dead Taiwanese influencer. I’ve already written about the details of the case. We can’t say too much until the case goes to court in December, but in the meantime, the reactions from members of the public, especially those who know him or who have worked with Namewee are most revealing.
Since Negarakuku, Namewee has never tried to portray himself as a good role model. Influencer Iris Hsieh 谢侑芯 said in a podcast that she pivoted from nursing to raunchy modelling because she wanted to gain the largest fan base within the shortest time. Namewee was no different. While some of his songs may have a serious political theme, the majority of them are crass and full of sexual innuendos. Far from setting a good example for young people, Namewee trumpets his badass, misogynist attitude. By no stretch of the imagination can he be considered as a good role model. Frankly, I’m not surprised that he would check into a hotel with a female influencer for whatever purpose people vilify him for.
One netizen made a powerful comment. When the wall crumbles, everyone starts pushing. Some netizens celebrated what they believed to be the end of Namewee style songs. Some laughed at the mugshot showing his baldness. Some proposed the death penalty. Some called it retribution. Overall, the toxicity was like a sea of cyanide. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, but this is an impulsive, unthinking age. Just like the case of the Kelantan doctor. A tsunami of sermons hit the adulterous couple, but are these virtual moralists really that concerned about the woman’s husband or the doctor’s family?
There was a sudden rush of people who had once worked with Namewee to distance themselves from him. There were also the traffic hungry influencers who seized the opportunity to tell the world about their narrow escape from evil Namewee’s deadly clutches. They seemed to have waited a long time to tell their story.
Some personalities who had clearly collaborated with him to gain exposure suddenly deny having anything to do with him. Haters emerged out of the blue, virtually stoning him and wishing that he would get the maximum punishment for his alleged crimes. Namewee must be wondering, where on earth did all these accusers and deniers come from? Are they really that disgusted? Or are they the disgusting ones?
Personally, I don’t find Namewee very likeable, but he is certainly talented in a twisted way. Like him, I detest censorship and authoritarian regimes that expect absolute obedience towards members of the ruling class. 玻璃心 is a classic that has resonated with many people who feel the same way about a rising hegemon. The Sinophiles may find the following song offensive, but they are not stupid and even they cannot deny the truth. It’s just that they only focus on the economic miracle, seeing everything else as a reasonable sacrifice.
With Namewee’s fall from grace, there was a group of haters who had been grinding their axes. The Sinophiles wasted no time in casting their stones. Some called it “karma” for insulting their Great Leader or mocking their “motherland”. They identify Namewee as an idol worshipped by the 青鸟 or green birds – supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party. Pathetically try to lump pro-democracy folks with drug addicts. It doesn’t matter that it’s illogical. As long as enough people push the idea, it goes viral.
A Taiwanese housewife influencer (famous for her self-deprecating small boobs jokes) commented that Namewee focussed on his music when he had no money, but once he made it, he started to feast on drugs. The verdict is not out, but Namewee should perhaps take a moment to reflect on his approach towards stardom. He gained attention by offending people and pushing the envelope with religious sensitivities. He managed to get away with it without having the keys to his prison cell thrown away, but when will his luck run out if he engages in risky activities like taking recreational drugs? Whether Namewee is guilty or not, I’m still glad that a song like 玻璃心 exists. I don’t have to like or support him. I don’t need to join the lynch party to prove that I’m not his type. Just as I can like this song even though the singer is an ungrateful sycophant who badmouths Taiwan while he shamelessly makes use of his Taiwanese identity. Is Huang An or Namewee worse? Who knows? Who cares?
Nevertheless, if there’s anything at all that Namewee can gain from this experience, he now knows who his real friends are.